La Cienega Boulevard along West Hollywood is lined with loads of excellent restaurants, hotels, and clubs. The boulevard is often considered the dividing line between the affluent west LA and the seedy east.[1]
Attractions
Pacific Design Center
The Pacific Design Center, affectionately known as the “Blue Whale”, is a huge complex occupied by furniture dealers and interior design boutiques. Located at 8687 Melrose Avenue, the entire Center is open to the public for viewing the exhibitions of these professional designers. The Center has a mix of boutiques and showrooms and is highlighted by a branch of the Museum of Contemporary Art. This branch focuses on architecture and industrial and graphic design. The Center also has a small amphitheater that honors various architects and designers.[2]
The highlight of the Pacific Design Center is the annual spring IdeaHouse, an event when the average residential lifestyle of the Los Angeles resident is imagined and constructed to life – foyers, rec rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, etc.[3]
Margo Leavin Gallery
The Margo Leavin Gallery at 817 N. Hilldale Avenue is a notable architectural novelty in West Hollywood. It has a giant Claes Oldenburg designed knife that cuts through the stucco structure – a striking façade to say the least. There are even more bizarre structures around the area, as the region is home to several fancy designers.[4]
Schindler House
The Schindler House at 835 N. Kings Road is a famously designed house from the hands of R.M. Schindler, the pupil of legendary Frank Lloyd Wright. The house is considered the blueprint for California modernist architecture. The house features sliding canvas panels that are removable in the summer, open-plan rooms facing outdoor terraces, and exposed rafters. It was designed as such because the architect wanted to sleep outdoors year-round. Unfortunately, he misjudged the weather, like all newcomers. Today, the house is occupied by the Mak Center for Art and Architecture, which hosts film, art, and avant-garde music exhibitions.[5]
References:
Dickey, Jeff. Los Angeles, 3rd Edition. Rough Guides, 2003. ISBN: 1843530589.
[1] Dickey, 110
[2] Id.
[3] Id.
[4] Id.
[5] Id.
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